Le Mariage 1986

Paul Guiragossian made "Le Mariage" using paint to build an image that embraces flux and change. I love the way the figures emerge from a network of lines and color, like they're in the process of becoming. Looking closely, you can see the physicality of the paint—how the brushstrokes are visible, laying down marks that define the edges of forms, but never quite contain them. It's like he’s inviting the paint to have its own say in the composition. Take the figure in the center, how the lines of color converge, creating a sense of depth and volume, but also dissolving back into the surface. There’s a real tension between representation and abstraction. This piece makes me think of artists like Francis Picabia, who were also playing with figuration and dissolving forms. Ultimately, Guiragossian reminds us that art is about embracing the unresolved and finding beauty in the in-between spaces.